This invention relates to the field of devices for cleaning golf balls, and in particular to one which is water sealable and small enough to be carried in a golfer's golf bag or compartment thereof.
Examples of prior art cleaning devices for golf balls which are portable include those disclosed in the following United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,232 discloses a portable golf ball washer which has a single brushing component consisting of a strip of bristled carpet formed in an annular ring around the inside of a container in which the golf ball is suspended by a wire frame holder, part of which is formed as a handle for manipulating the ball held between the looped jaws of the holding device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,974 discloses a portable golf ball washing device having two chambers, one to hold cleaning fluid and one to hold the golf ball for cleaning which has bristles mounted therein, and a spraying device to spray cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid chamber on to the ball in the ball cleaning chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,299 discloses a portable golf ball washer having a brush defining and surrounding an annular path or raceway and an impeller or drive member operated by a crank to push the golf ball around that annular path in contact with the bristles of the surrounding brush.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,039 discloses a portable golf ball washing device having an upper and lower circular brush, a drive member operated by a crank to push the golf ball around a circular path between the upper and lower circular brushes, and a hole in the top wall of the container to insert the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,784 discloses a cleaning device for balls comprising a container having three brushing elements, one on top, one on the bottom and one around the side wall. The top and bottom brushes are rotatably mounted on a gear assembly for rotation by a crank extending through the top hinged lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,016 discloses another golf ball washer comprising an elongated container having brushing material around the inner surface of its peripheral wall to contact and brush a golf ball as it is reciprocated up and down by a plunger.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,802 discloses a golf ball cleaner which includes a container for a cleaning solution in which the golf ball may be held on a stand, and a brushing implement that may then be inserted and moved up and down to clean the sides of the golf ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,089 discloses a golf ball washer comprising a container and a two part brushing compartment therein mounted on a spring biased plunger for reciprocating up and down with a golf ball in the brushing compartment as it is dipped down into and raised up out of the water or other cleaning solution in the container which flows through the apertures of the brushing compartment.
The golf ball cleaning device in accordance with the present invention provides improvements over the prior art in that the golf ball is positioned within the container by a spring finger assembly nested within the upper brush whereby the ball rotates relative to all three cleaning components, upper, lower and middle, at the same time for simultaneous brushing and cleaning of all surface areas of the golf ball by relative movement of brushing and cleaning elements across all surface areas of the ball as long as the rotating assembly is being rotated. Such construction makes a more compact unit possible that can even be carried in a small separate compartment of a golf bag such as the one normally provided for golf balls and tees.